AlexaMD

Inspiration

Everyday millions of ill people search the internet to check their symptoms in an attempt to self-diagnose their medical problems. However, there is too much information and the results are not personalized. We created AlexaMD in hopes of bridging this gap and providing the human touch that was missing in this process.

What it does

AlexaMD is a virtual doctor that simulates a conversation with a physician. It conducts a medical history, evaluating the client’s symptoms, and helps diagnose the most likely disease based on their personal data. It can help triage clients to identify those with life-threatening conditions.

How we built it

Our application uses Amazon Alexa Skills Kit, which enables clients to use their voice to activate a symptom checker. The conversation is processed with IBM Watson’s Natural Language Processing API. We plan to integrate API Medic, a medical symptom checker that provides patients with the most likely diagnosis based on their personal data and symptoms.

Challenges we ran into

We faced several obstacles due to our inexperience with the various tools (e.g. AWS, Watson NLP API, and API Medic).

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that our idea can help improve the health of people around the world, especially those that live in remote areas without easy access to physician services.

What we learned

We learned how to use many new tools including AWS, Watson NLP API, and API Medic.

What's next for AlexaMD

We can expand AlexaMD’s horizons by helping clients with booking appointments with their doctors, calling an ambulance for emergencies, and providing solutions to improve quality-of-life for conditions that do not require medical treatment. We also hope to create a database to help conduct epidemiological research to help guide policies on controlling and preventing diseases.

Built With

• amazon-web-services
• api-medic
• ibm-watson